


Long Way Round

by darkangel86



Series: Home [1]
Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Alien/Human Relationships, Coming Out, Confessions, Declarations Of Love, Episode Fix-it, Feels, Happy Ending, M/M, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-15
Updated: 2019-02-15
Packaged: 2019-10-28 23:30:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17796836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkangel86/pseuds/darkangel86
Summary: “Since when do you have anyone you care enough about to tell, Michael?” Isobel snorted, rolling her eyes as she took a pull from the bottle of warm beer in her hand. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Michael stiffen. “Michael?”“I'm tired of lying,” He said. “To you, to Max, to fucking everyone.” Michael sighed as he slumped back in his chair, his eyes turned upward. “I'm so sick of it.”





	Long Way Round

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers for 1x05.
> 
> So I loved episode 5 but I wanted to put my own spin on how I wish it had ended. This was my take on if it had gone in a different direction.

“Since when do you have anyone you care enough about to tell, Michael?” Isobel snorted, rolling her eyes as she took a pull from the bottle of warm beer in her hand. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Michael stiffen. “Michael?”

“I'm tired of lying,” He said. “To you, to Max, to fucking everyone.” Michael sighed as he slumped back in his chair, his eyes turned upward. “I'm so sick of it.”

“So tell us the truth then. What are you lying about?” She asked, her curiosity getting the better of her by this point. She'd never known Michael to care about anyone, ever, outside of himself, her and Max.

“Aren't you tired of lying to Noah?” Michael asked her and Isobel froze. Of course she was. 

“You know damn well that I am, Michael.” She replied, her voice hard as steel. 

“Then why are we still lying? You love him. You married him. You wouldn't have married the guy if you didn't think you could trust him so why not tell him?” Michael asked her, turning to look at her.

“Sure, Mikey, because that's a conversation that one has all the time with their spouse. 'Hey, honey, how was work? By the way, you know that crazy '47 crash our town makes a joke out of? Yeah, Max, Michael and I actually came down in it in some pods only to end up waking up twenty years ago in human form and stumbled out into the desert mute, lost and disoriented. What would you like for dinner?' Sure, Michael, I can see that going over real well.” Isobel leveled a glare in his direction.

“So maybe don't lay it out like that then.” Michael said plainly, rolling his eyes at his sister before downing the rest of his beer. “I'm just saying. I've done the lying thing, Is and I'm fed up with it. Its pushing away the people we love the most and I'm sick and fucking tired of it.” He admitted with a sigh.

“What are you even talking about, Michael?” Isobel asked plainly. “Since when do you love anyone besides yourself and whoever's warming your bed for the night.” She snorted.

“I have loved one person my entire life, Isobel Evans, and because of this god damn secret I'm losing him.” Michael gritted out, looking the other woman straight in the eye.

“W-what?” Isobel stuttered, her eyes widening in shock, the bottle of beer she'd been holding tumbling to the ground. “Him? Michael, what? I don't understand.”

“There's not much to understand. My big secret. Well, my _other_ one. Surprise, Is, bisexual and in love with a man.” Michael admitted for the first time to someone other than himself and he suddenly felt freer than he had just seconds before. He couldn't help but smile. “Damn. That felt good.”

“Since when?” She asked, her voice slightly uneven when she spoke and Michael rolled his eyes.

“Always, cheesy as that sounds. But when did I admit it to myself? Probably around the same time I realized I was in love. No, had to be before that. Out loud though when I knew I was in love with him. I knew it was more than just a fucking crush when he smiled at me the first time, like really smiled though, not one of those fake put on bullshit smiles he gave everyone else. No, a real one. Shy and genuine and god, it felt like someone had punched me in the god damned stomach the first time I saw it. I couldn't breathe. He's so fucking beautiful.” Michael laughed and Isobel suddenly found it hard to breathe herself.

“Who the fuck is it, Michael?” She asked, her voice just barely above a whisper. She'd never seen her brother like this before. It was mesmerizing. 

“You won't approve. You won't want me to tell him. Not because of who he is but because of his fucking family.” Michael scowled, scuffing the toe of his shoe in the dirt. “I hate his stupid piece of shit father so much, Is. God, you have no idea. He hates me, hell, he hates his own son. Can you believe it? How the fuck can anyone hate Alex? You've got to be shit out of your mind hating him? He's as close to perfect as any human can get.” Michael rambled, missing the fact that he'd slipped and mentioned Alex's name. Isobel's not so subtle impression of a fish out of water alerted him to the fact that he'd slipped up.

“Alex Manes?” She asked, somehow both surprised and not at the same time, her eyes darting from Michael to the darkened space behind him.

“Well, shit.” Michael cursed. “Cats outta the bag now. Yeah. How many other Alex's you know? Course its Manes.” He fought hard against the blush that was threatening to cover his face. He would not give his sister the satisfaction. 

“Does anyone know? Does Alex know?” Isobel asked, scooting her chair closer to Michael and knocking their knees together.

“Does Alex know what? That I'm bi? Yep, pretty sure he does.” Michael answer with a smirk and Isobel groaned, smacking him forcefully on the thigh.

“No, you asshole. That you're in love with him!” She exclaimed, smiling for the first time since Michael and Max had found her in the desert.

“He called me a criminal and broke up with me the last time we spoke so I don't think he cares, Is,” Michael said and Isobel wasn't sure if she'd ever heard him sound so heartbroken.

“ _Excuse me_?” She asked, jerking back in shock. She listened as Michael explained what had happened that night at the drive-in, her eyes narrowing as he finished talking. He flinched when this time she slapped him upside the back of his head.

“Isobel! What was that for?” 

“If you need money, Michael, you know where to come to!” She chastised him. “You don't have to fence anything on the side.” She leveled him with a glare, only to sigh and pull him into a quick hug before letting him go and settling herself back into her own chair. “But he shouldn't have said that to you. It obviously hurt you.”

“It didn't-” Michael started.

“Don't bullshit me, Michael, yes it did. I know you better than anyone, besides Max. Yes it did. The person you love most, the person you're in love with called you a criminal. That's, god, that's a level of hurt I don't think I could handle. Are you okay?” She asked, genuinely concerned.

“I've dealt with worse.” He replied, shrugging his shoulder.

“Maybe. But you shouldn't have to, you don't deserve to.”

“Alex has his own bullshit he's dealing with. Its his fucking father, Is. You don't have any idea what that man is capable of.” Michael explained.

“And you do?”

“I've got an idea.” He mumbled.

“Okay, wait, we got completely off track. This was supposed to be about telling Noah and Alex the truth. Liz already knows so that's Max's true love taken care of but Michael, once we tell them, that's it, its done. There is no going back. Do you really want to risk it with Alex? What if it turns out he's not in love with you? Or what if the second he finds out the truth he runs and tells his father?” Isobel questioned, curious to see Michael's reaction. Not that it mattered. Alex Manes already knew their secret. He'd been standing in the shadows listening to them talk since almost the beginning of their conversation.

“Even if he doesn't love me, even if he never wants to see me again, Alex would never do that. He's not that kind of person. He would never hurt us, Is. If for no other reason than to stick it to his piece of shit father he'd keep our secret,” Michael said with a sad chuckle as he stood to grab another beer. “But at this point, I've got to tell him. I can't keep lying. Its killing me, Isobel. I get it now, what Max has been saying about Liz. How she makes him feel and what it felt like when he thought he was going to lose her. Fuck. Feels like my fucking heart is broken or some shit and I know that's Max talking because when the hell have I ever said something like that before?” Michael asked with a wet laugh as he wiped at the traitorous tears that had began to fall from his eyes.

“So, tell him.” Isobel said, smiling softly. “Max has no say in this. He told Liz the truth without consulting us so this decision if between us. If you want to tell Alex, then you tell him.”

“He's not even talking to me,” Michael said sadly. “And how the hell would I even bring something like that up? 'Hey, babe, guess what? You've been sleeping with an alien since high school.' Christ, think I can get them to print that on a t-shirt in town?” He laughed, once again wiping at the wetness in his eyes.

“God, Michael, babe? Really? Have you ever actually called him that?” She asked with a giggle, looking over Michael's shoulder at Alex. It was difficult to see him in the dark but it looked almost like he might be blushing and wasn't that just adorable.

“Are you kidding me, Isobel? Do I look like the type of person to use a fucking pet name?” He asked her with a scowl on his face. It only deepened when she doubled over laughing. “What is wrong with you?”

“I'm going to borrow your truck and go home and talk to Noah, tell him the truth.” Isobel finally said once she was able to get calm herself back down. “I will call you, I promise, so you know I'm okay. Hopefully he won't go running for the hills. If he does, I'll go to Max's place for the night. You have fun and enjoy the rest of yours, little brother.” Isobel said as she stood and wrapped the scratchy blanket tighter around her shoulders. Leaning down and placed a kiss on Michael's cheek and whispered, “Trust him.” Michael stiffened as he watched her walk away.

“So,” And Michael felt his blood run cold in his veins. “Sex with an alien, Michael, really? That's how you'd break the news to me? All the ways in the universe and that's what you go with?” Michael's breathing picked up, his heart thudding in his chest. He closed his eyes because this was not happening.

“How long have you been there?” He managed to ask despite the fact that he felt like puking.

“Since you told Isobel you wanted to tell the people you loved the truth.” Alex answered easily as he stepped into Michael line of view.

“Fuck.” Michael cursed. Since the very beginning of their conversation. Because of course. That was exactly the kind of luck he had. “And you heard everything?” He had to ask.

“I did.” Alex said and Michael took a deep shuddering breath before he finally looked up and met Alex's gaze directly.

“And you're still here?” Michael asked, shakily, not daring to move even as Alex dropped down into Isobel's vacant seat.

“There is literally nowhere else on this planet, and oddly enough, any other planet that I'd rather be.” Alex said with a shy smile. He was shocked to see Michael's eyes fill with tears.

“God dammit, Alex, you can't do this to me. You can not keep coming and going from my life like this, giving me hope and then taking it away. I can't fucking take it anymore.” He said quietly and Alex felt his heart break. Scooting forward as best he could, Alex leaned forward and pulled Michael into his arms.

“I am so sorry,” Alex whispered. “So sorry. I have no right to even ask you for another chance but I am. I've missed you so much and its not fair that I'm even here but I had to come. I couldn't stay away any more.” In his arms Alex felt Michael suck in a sharp breath, the other man's hands tightening in their hold on his shirt.

“You can't keep doing this to me.” Michael whispered against Alex's neck.

“No more, Michael,” Alex said. “I promise. No more. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere. I swear to god, I'm not. I am so sorry for what I said before and how I acted. There's no excuse for how I treated you except to say its my father and he's in my head but that's not a good enough reason to treat you like that. I'm just so sorry.” For the longest time the two men did nothing more than continue to hold one another, just breathing in the others scent. Eventually Alex felt his leg begin to cramp and he relented his hold and slowly sat back. He brushed a stray tear from Michael's cheek, causing the other man to smile timidly. It reminded him to much of the Michael he'd fallen in love with in high school that for a moment it took his breath away.

“I, I have to ask you something.” Michael eventually said and Alex was sure he'd rather not for the way he avoided looking at him.

“Of course.” Alex said immediately and without hesitation.

“You're not, scared of me, are you?” Michael asked and Alex was stunned.

“What? Michael! Why in God's name would I be scared of you?” Alex asked in alarm.

“Because Liz is fucking out of her mind one minute with fear, scared of Max, then she's half in love with him the next and I can not take that, Alex. I can't. I see what it's doing to Max and its awful so if you're scared at all then please, do us both a favor and just go now. It'll save us the trouble of you leaving later.” Michael instructed as he pushed himself to stand and move away from Alex so he could breathe.

“Liz is obviously out of her blessed mind,” Alex mumbled. “Max Evans wouldn't hurt a fly. And neither would you, you moron!” Alex snapped as he reached out to grasp Michael's hand. “Stop, stop it! Michael, stop and listen to me! I am not scared of you! I never have been and I never will be.” 

“You can't know that!” Michael snapped. “You have no idea what I'm capable of!”

“I don't have to know what you're capable of to know you'd never hurt me.” Alex said, matter of factly. “I heard everything you said to Isobel and most of it I already knew, so let me tell you a few things, Guerin. I have loved you for just as long, maybe longer than you've loved me!” He snapped as he began to pace and Michael froze where he stood. He'd never heard those words come from Alex before.

“Alex-”

“I used to watch you in school, in the quad, when you were doing your stupid homework and extra credit assignments and god, you were so focused, so into whatever dumb assignment you had. You never even noticed me and I hated it because I tried so hard to make you see me. But you only had eyes for those books of yours. Its why I signed up for that terrible after school book club.” Alex admitted, sheepishly. “Because I wanted to spend time with you.” He watched as Michael's mouth dropped open in shock.

“Getting to see how passionate you were about whatever book we were reading at the time, god, it was breathtaking. Everyone wanted to believe you were just another dumb foster kid but fuck, Michael, you left me speechless all the time. You and that big brain of yours.” Alex chuckled. “I was just some dumb kid with a skate board but you, you could've gone so many places, done so many things.”

“I didn't want any of that, Alex. Don't you get it? You are all I have ever wanted.” Michael said so earnestly that Alex felt all the air suddenly sucked from his lungs. “I have loved you since I was seventeen and I never looked back. I don't regret a single second of it. Then or now. I just want you.”

“I just want you too.” Alex barely finished saying before he found himself with an armful of alien, lips pressed together kissing what felt like the life out of him. And oh, how he'd missed the feeling of those lips pressed against his.

“Please don't leave me.” Michael whispered against Alex's lips.

“Never again.” Alex swore and despite everything Michael believed him. “Come home with me.” He said. “Pack a bag and come home with me. There's something I need to show you but I didn't want to take it out of the cabin. I think now that I know what's been going on with you, I actually understand it a little more.”

“What?” Michael asked, confused.

“I don't know, just take my word for it that I have something you need to see. Also, I really want you to come home with me and stay. For the night, for the weekend. Actually, forever sounds kind of perfect at this point but that may be moving too fast.” Alex ducked his head shyly.

“You don't talk to me for a week only to jump straight into asking me to move in with you?” Michael chuckled, finally smiling properly for the first time in days. “You are something else, Manes.”

“Something good, I hope.” Alex dared, as he watched Michael climb the stares to his trailer, hopefulness settling firmly into his chest.

“The fucking best.” Michael replied with a smile so genuine Alex had to sit down before he fell down. As he waited for Michael to return he thought about what he'd found in the wall of the room underneath his cabin. He was positive now it was something alien and he knew Michael would know what to do with it. He thanked his lucky stars that he'd had the peace of mind to get in his car and drive to see Michael tonight. Whatever it was that had pulled him in this direction had been strong and he'd chose to follow it. He half wondered if it was alien itself.

“Hey. You ready?” Michael asked, suddenly back and standing in front of Alex, a rather large bag of clothes over his shoulder. Alex smiled.

“I've been ready for a long time.” He said with deep sigh. “Just took the long way here.”

“You're here. That's all that matters.” Michael replied as he leaned in and pressed a kiss to Alex's lips. For as long as he lived he would never tire of kissing the other man. 

In his pocket, Michael's cell phone beeped. He pulled it out and smiled down at it.

_Noah knows.  
He's still here._

_Talk tomorrow.  
Is_

Things were maybe looking up for once in Michael's life. It was about damn time.

**Author's Note:**

> I feel like I'm getting the hang of writing these characters a little better. I hope so anyway. :)


End file.
